


The Creature (Stefano Valentini fanfiction)

by ArtBoiTrash



Category: Pet Shop of Horrors, The Evil Within (Video Game), The Evil Within 2 - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Art, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gore, I Don't Even Know, Other, Photography, Pre-Canon, Pre-STEM, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:54:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23591908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtBoiTrash/pseuds/ArtBoiTrash
Summary: She was something new, something he had never seen before. He had to have her, whatever the cost.-This came to me like a fever dream in the middle of the night, inspired by a manga I read several years ago. If you're not familiar with Pet Shop of Horrors, I recommend you look it up, but only IF you are 18 and older. It is an explicit story of blood and death. Count D doesn't make that big of an appearance, he mostly is there for the plot. This is, unfortunately, another Stefano fanfiction.-Inspired by the Mermaid story from Pet Shop of Horrors, a manga series. I do not own any characters here except for the female character in the story.If you want to know where this came from.... I honestly don't know. It is NOT related to my other stories.
Relationships: Stefano Valentini/Original Character(s), Stefano Valentini/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

I listened for the sounds of other people walking along the streets. The sound of footfalls. The sound of voices. There was nothing as I wandered the streets of this empty town.

My world had been so quiet. So empty. Nothing here but my current interests. My work was driving me to exhaustion. Finding suitable models, the right equipment... it is draining.

I sighed quietly. This small town is not what I had in mind for my work. It is not what I had in mind when I settled down, or attempted to. But, what is life without its setbacks. Cause and effect, improper balance, and nothing to show for your hard work.

I sighed through my nose, a chill passing through my frame. The frigid night was not something I wished to be out in. However, staying inside while I lost my mind was not an option. I needed my head clear for tomorrow; hired by one of those ridiculous common people. They do not understand my true work, but I cannot turn down work if I am to keep up my appearance.

I grumbled to myself. Perhaps I should return home now. Nevertheless, I continued on. Just some more time outside should quell my mind. I don't have to worry about anyone now, just continuing on in this wretched weather.

A warm, yellowed light caught my eye as I continued my stroll down the street. I glanced up, seeing a storefront. I blinked for a moment, and pulled out my phone. It read 2:56 in the morning.

What kind of a store is still open this late? There wasn't any place like a bar or club that I knew of in this area. This spot is meant for more established businesses.

I frowned, and made note to venture passed it. But as I neared, I began to feel... Odd. I could smell something like incense and something like dust.

I made my way passed it, glancing in just slightly. I processed what appeared to be a foreign shop; intricate items laying about the place. It doesn't look... normal. At least what's normal in this town. I see some foreign letters and writings on the window, something I'm not familiar with.

I paused, turning slightly. I looked in again, my curiosity for the warm lighting coming over me. I saw what appeared to be a dog laying on the rug, just outside a kennel. I saw exotic-looking birds, and even recognized a few... out of legality animals.

A chiming door caused me to turn around. An Asian-looking man slipped almost gracefully from the storefront. He had a withdrawn look on his face, taking in more than just my appearance.

He smiled delicately. If I hadn't known better, I could have guessed his was weak, powerless... He was trying to imply he was innocent, but his demeanor gave away anything.

"Excuse me," his accent filled my head; Mandarin or Chinese possibly. "I couldn't help but notice you looking in. Would you like to come in out of this cold?"

I hesitated. My mental images couldn't help but describe what I saw; always taking in the secrecy and details of everything.

His light, foreign garb. His slim face and gentle tone. I frowned as his straight, chin length hair covered a single eye. In the breeze, I could see the covered eye was perfectly fine, if not a different color from the one he showed. It made me feel self-conscious as I stood, watching him. And his hair... it must have been colored, it was nearly black, but seemed purple in the lighting.

"Come, come in and warm yourself against the freezing night."

He reached forward and grabbed my arm. With a gentle tug, he guided me inside. I could feel him studying me as I was pulled into the shop. I shivered, the heavier warmth seeping into my skin and warming me.

"... Thank you, I suppose." I muttered.

He gestured I follow him further into the shop, and I saw him sit at a table. A table... set for two people. Two chairs sitting diagonally next to the quaint wooden table, two cups of tea pre-poured and steaming. 

"I was about to have tea and cakes, but you are welcome to join me if you wish."

I frowned even more. "If you're expecting someone else, I'm not going to take their spot and take what's theirs."

"Nonsense. I always have an extra placement out, in case a customer comes by." He giggled like a child, picking up the tea and saucer closest to him, waving his hand at me in a gesture.

I found my foot lifting and carrying me forward. I grasped the wooden seat with a cushion on it, sitting down as it creaked slightly. I wondered how he had managed to sit in an identical chair without making a single noise.

"What brings you to my humble pet shop, then?"

I glanced up at him, seeing him staring me down. A studying glare that wasn't looking for an answer but for something else.

"... My nightly routine brought me out further than usual. I find a stroll in the city helps clear my mind."

He giggled quietly. "Even in a cold climate like this? You must have a lot on your mind if you are willing to risk your health."

My fingers found the ceramic saucer, pulling what appeared to be a porcelain cup to me. The brown-red tea smelled soothing, but wasn't what I would expect from a Chinese shop.

Then something picked at the back of my mind. The whole shop was silent. Silent, except for this man and myself. As the hot tea met my lips, I turned around and looked at the animals in the shop. The dog resting on the rug was still, but watched me carefully. The parrots and other birds weren't speaking, flapping their wings, or barely even moving.

"Ah, don't fret. The animals here have become accustomed to being quiet when there is a visitor."

I sipped quietly at the drink that had been offered to me. As tense as I was, I found myself feeling oddly relaxed in this environment. Something was making my shoulders loosen, the cluster in my mind unravel.

"What kind of animals do you have here?" I asked, attempting to fill the silence hanging in the air.

"As many as you could believe. This isn't all of our animals, of course." He paused as he tipped his cup back ever so slightly. "We have recently moved in to this area. This passed week has been our grand opening!"

I looked down at my mug, seeing it was almost empty. I blinked for a moment, realizing I hadn't recalled drinking that much of it.

He smiled at me as I glanced up at him. He was eating what looked to be a cake with a very small fork. I took in the sight of him for a brief moment, then turned away. I glanced over the room again, feeling drained and tired.

I stood up to leave, but was talked into seeing some more of the shop. I blinked as I found myself wandering through the halls, walking down a shallow staircase, then up again.

I could smell the incense much stronger now. I'll have to launder my clothes to get rid of the amount of smoke that'll surely stick to it. Yet I can see so clearly.

People were all around me. Some watched, silent as they sat in separate rooms, peering at me from doorways. My head felt foggy, dizzy.

"Our private collection," said the man. "For those seeking something more to quell their loneliness..."

I paused. Did he mean the people?

Was I just pulled into an underground slavery ring?

I tried to shake my head and push away the haze that followed. I tried to breathe deeply, to clear my mind. My feet carried me, even as I tried to stop. My mind wouldn't shift from it's current thoughts, I couldn't move passed the odd dream-like sensation.

I found myself standing in front of a large ceramic vase. There were clear windows in the side of it, dark and murky liquid peering back at me.

I saw something shifting inside. The liquid inside was moving ever so slightly. What looked like a human hand pressed against the glass, pale against the colored darkness.

"Ah, our lovely girl..." said the man as he approached me from behind. "I'm afraid we haven't been able to cater to her since we've moved in. She needs a large, spacious area and someone who can provide large amounts of food for her..."

I saw what looked like a human face coming close to the glass, then disappearing quickly. I stared, hypnotized by the movements inside.

"Is she drowning?"

"Oh, no, of course not. All fish are adapted to water quite well..."

I turned to him as a knowing look crossed his face. "This young creature is quite rare, though. She wouldn't be able to be given to just anyone."

The hand pressed into the glass, and I realized whatever was in there was circling. Like a tiger does in its pen. Whatever is inside is far too large for this container. I saw something reflecting light from the inside, something bright and metal looking. That face appeared every once in a while, ever so slightly there.

"Would you like to meet her?"


	2. Chapter 2

I watched as the lid was lifted from the vase. The ladder situated under my feet felt firm, so I didn't feel it would fall out from underneath me. They hazy feeling in my mind clouded my judgement, making my mind spin as I tried to think rationally.

It didn't feel like I had been drugged, but I couldn't rule it out. I could think straight, in a way, but could feel myself being more susceptible to the suggestions this man was saying. I could process my thoughts, but they felt slower, like a film being placed over my thoughts, muffling them as I tried to focus through the haze.

The lip of the large vase was small. Just large enough for a human torso, from what I could discern. Dark, murky water stared back at me. I smelled salt, something like an ocean's water now wafting through the air. I blinked, watching the water ripple just slightly as the being inside continued swimming inside. I saw the silvery ripples of the "fish" as he described swirling around, flicking through the waters.

A face slowly lifted from the water, dripping from the hair and face. A pale, feminine face poked from the jar, looking at me. She had long hair that stuck to her form, weighed down with the water, covering her shoulders and part of her head. Her eyes looked like small crystals, watching me, grey in color. They shifted across my face, studying me. There wasn't an expression on her face, just a blank look watching me. Her skin looked like porcelain, pale and nearly pure white, almost perfect, save for the small flecks of silver that caught the light at the proper angles.

"I'm afraid, the client that was going to buy her... Didn't respond to me and left her alone." The man spoke, shattering the silence. "She wasn't meant to stay in her cage this long, she deserves fresh water and some more care."

"What happened to your client?" I said quietly.

At the sound, or seeing me talk, the female being leaned forward, looking intensely at me. I kept eye contact with her, a strange feeling of danger coming over me. Pale arms, entwined with the long hair, dripping water down the side of the vase as she leaned her arms over the side.

"He didn't want to feed the poor girl." A quiet snicker passed his lips. "He didn't believe she deserved his attention. I'm afraid those that are full of themselves like that will never be able to care for something other than themselves."

I kept watching the female as she turned her head slightly, allowing me to see what appeared to be fins protruding from her head. My face shifted, and I felt confused seeing something like that. I saw what looked like scales ever so slightly accenting her skin. I watched as they caught the light, shining and reflecting into my eye.

I nodded, and watched her. "Why wouldn't he feed her?"

"He was a... vegan, and was attempting to take her off my hands because he believed I was being too cruel for keeping her in this container. He wanted to give her a more 'healthy' environment, but neglected to keep to her strict diet. You see, she is a carnivore. She will only eat meat, never any vegetation. He did not seem to understand that and refused to listen to me, so he unfortunately suffered the consequences..."

She reached forward, lifting her hand from the edge of the vase. It extended towards me, making me lean back slightly. The situation felt dangerous, the blank way she looked at me giving me an odd sense of dread.

"Personally, I don't enjoy the people that will put the health of their animals on the line for the sake of their morals."

I reached for the girl, attempting to shake her hand as I thought she was gesturing. Before my hand met hers, my other arm was yanked on. I was pulled down from the ladder, almost stumbling as it wasn't exactly short.

"I wouldn't recommend that, she has not been fed yet today."

I felt cross that he had touched me without permission and pulled on my arm very hard. I turned and looked at him, feeling a scowl cross my face. He smiled a more knowing smile than I expected, patting the hand of the arm he had grabbed. I just watched him and his knowing expression, ignoring the odd sense in my gut.

I glanced over at the girl in the vase again. "... Why wouldn't you give her a more permanent spot? Or is she too dangerous for you to keep around?"

"Too dangerous?" He giggled, raising his hand to his chin. "Of course not, not when she's being cared for properly."

I nodded, watching her as she slipped into the water.

"What's her name?"

"That depends, our pets don't often have names until they are taken home."

I frowned some more. "I'm not going to buy her from you, if that's what you're hinting at."

"I'm not implying such a thing."

"Then why show me and drop so many ideas about her going somewhere permanent?"

He smiled, closing his eyes at me. He turned his head to the side, cascading hair falling away from the eye he had hidden. He opened his eyes, staring at me, showing a golden eye peering at me. That knowing smile returned as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"I was simply recounting her story for your curiosity. You were asking questions, so I assumed you wanted to know more."

"What are you going to do with her, then? Since the last buyer didn't 'follow through' with his purchase?"

"Search for a new one. I wish to ensure she goes to the proper home first; I always have to make sure the buyer will follow her rules in the sake of her safety and the safety of the owner."

I nodded, watching the mesmerizing ripples in the water. "What kind of creature is she?"

"I'm sure you would recognize the name. She is considered to be a mermaid."

"A mermaid? Like the mythical creature?"

"Yes, she is one."

I watched as the face surfaced again. She watched me, leaning over the lip of the vase again, now at a much higher angle than before. She looked more familiar this time, like someone I should recognize as I saw her. I knew, however, she wasn't someone I had ever met, or wasn't a face I had actually seen before.

She reached for me again, watching me from above. I didn't reach back, and her fingers twitched in a gesture to come closer. I simply watched her, taking in the details and curves of her skin. Watching the look on her face, still blank, but now what appeared to be a slight smile was looking back at me.

"She seems to like you, sir."


End file.
